Brush blank feeding apparatus



Nov. 18, 1969 H, J. HAZELTON BRUSH BLANK FEEDING APPARATUS 4Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 15, 1967 Jerald 15 961 227 By: M zlmi M Nov.18,1969 H. J. HAZELTON 3,479,09

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United States Patent 3,479,091 BRUSH BLANK FEEDING APPARATUS Harold J.Hazelton, Batavia, Ill., assignor to Carlson Tool & Machine Co., acorporation of Illinois Filed Mar. 15, 1967, Ser. No. 623,373 Int. Cl.A46b 3/0 8; B65g 47/04, 11/20 US. Cl. 300-3 18 Claims ABSTRACT OF THEDISCLOSURE A brushmaking machine wherein brush blanks are successivelyfed to fabricating stations between the jaws of a chain-like conveyor.The brush blanks are normally loosely gripped except at the fabricatingstations where members move from a retracted position to embrace thebrush blanks and positively hold them in registration at the fabricatingstations. Also, an improvement in the brush blank feeding means whereinthe opposite ends of the brush blanks are held in stacked array inchannels,

one of which follows a more tortuous path than the other for absorbingdimensional differences in the different ends of the brush blanks.

This invention relates to brushmaking machines and more particularly toan improvement in the apparatus for feeding brushes to the fabricatingstations of a brushmaking machine.

This application is an improvement in the structure disclosed in the J.I. Carlson Patent No. 2,689,152, issued Sept. 14, 1954 and assigned tothe assignee of this invention. The said Carlson patent discloses abrushmaking machine for making small brushes, such as toothbrushes,wherein brush blanks are fed onto a conveyor means and carried along theconveyor under fabricating devices such as a driller and tufter. In theCarlson patent, the conveyor is provided with generally transverselyextending jaws which open where the conveyor means is wrapped around adrive sprocket and then come together or close as the conveyor meansassumes a generally linear path of travel. Brush blanks are fed onto theconveyor at the point where the jaws are relatively open. The jaws arespaced a distance from each other which is intended to exactlycorrespond to the transverse dimension of the brush and thus when theconveyor assumes it linear path of travel and the jaws close, the brushis tightly gripped between the jaws.

Intermittent advance of the conveyor permits the brush blanks to firstbe stationed for an interval of time under a drilling mechanism whereinappropriate holes are drilled therein and subsequently positioned undera tufting mechanism for an interval of time wherein brush bristles arestuffed into the previously bored holes. One problem that wasencountered utilizing this apparatus was that the blocks which formedthe jaws between which the brush blank was gripped could be formed towithin a tolerance of .020 inch. If the jaws were formed oversize, themultiplication of the number of undersize spaces for the size of brushblanks to be gripped therebetween created a seriou "binding in theconveyor which hampered the proper operation thereof and could tend tohold the brush blanks in a slightly canted position so that the driledholes and tufted material were not properly oriented in the brush blank.Conversely, where the jaws were formed so that the space was slightlyenlarged relative to the brush blank, the blank could slightly wander ordrift within its predetermined position so as to again cause drillingand tufting in a disoriented fashion relative to the blank.

Therefore this invention is directed to an improvement in such aconveyor for a toothbrush machine as disclosed in the aforementionedCarlson patent, which improvement provides improved structure forholding a toothbrush on the conveyor as the conveyor is advanced througha path of travel and improved structure for holding the toothbrush blankin a position of registration at a fabricating station during its pathof travel. In addition, this invention is directed to an improved meansfor feeding a supplyof toothbrush blanks to the conveyor of abrushmaking machine.

It is therefore a primary object of this invention to provide animprovement in the conveyor means for aldyancing toothbrush blanksthrough a brushmaking mac me. It is another object of this invention toprovide an improvement in the conveyor apparatus for holding toothbrushblanks in registration at fabricating stations of a brushmaking machine.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved means forfeeding toothbrush blanks to means for advancing the toothbrush blanksto the several fabricating stations of a brushmaking machine.

Other objects, features and advantage of the present invention will beapparent from the following description, of the preferred embodimentsillustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary top plan view of the conveyor apparatus andrelated mechanism of a toothbrush making machine similar to thatdisclosed in the Carlson Patent No. 2,689,152, issued Sept. 14, 1954,and assigned to the assignee of this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary front elevational View thereof;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary rear elevational view thereof;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary enlarged section view of a portion of thebrush blank feeding means taken generally along the line 4-4 of FIGURE 1and showing the manner in which the blanks are supplied to the conveyorapparatus;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary enlarged view of portions of the conveyorapparatus of this invention;

FIGURE 6 is a section view taken along the line 6-6 of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 7 is a section view taken along the lIne 7-7 of FIGURE 6.

The conveyor means 10 of this invention is mounted to the frame of thebrushmaking machine for movement in a plurality of directions bystructure similar to that shown in the aforementioned Carlson Patent No.2,689,152 and the mechanism for driving the conveyor means is similar tothat disclosed in the aforementioned Carlson patent, such that themounting structure and drive train structure will not be described indetail herein, reference being had to the state of the art.

The function of conveyor means 10' is to carry and present brush blanks12 received from brush blank feed means 14 to fabricating means such asdrilling means 16 and tufting means 18, also secured to the frame of thebrushmaking machine, so that the raw brush blank 14 may be appropriatelydrilled and tufted to produce a finished brush product. Hole findermeans 19, including template 19a and post 1% are generally provided toassist in registration of the fabricating means.

Conveyor means 1% includes a continuous belt 20 wrapped around pulleys22 mounted on shafts 24, one of which may be connected to means forintermittently advancing the belt 20 as shown and described in theaforementioned Carlson patent. The surface of the conveyor is providedwith blocks 26 and 28 spaced apart along the width and the length of thebelts. Each block 26 and 28 has canted inner and outer surfaces 26a-28aand 26b-2Sb,

opposed pairs of which define jaw means for loosely grasping brushblanks and carrying the same along the path of movement of the conveyorbelt. Between the jaw means, the surfaces 26a, 26b and 28a, 28b define aplurality of toothbrush blank receiving spaces 30 extend relative to thelength and width of the belt. The dimension of the spaces 30 is slightlygreater than the width of the brush blanks, so that the blanks areloosely confined therebetween and are thereby given a preliminaryregistration or orientation relative to subsequently encounteredfabrication stations.

The brush blank feed means includes a pair of uprigh members 32 and 34which are mounted vertically adjacent one end of the conveyor and tiedtogether as a unit by horizontal brace member 36 secured at the rear ofthe two upright members. Each upright member 32 and 34' is provided withgenerally vertical channel means 38 and 40, respectively, for receivingportions of a brush blank and holding them in stacked array so that theymay be dispensed onto the conveyor in the brush blank receiving spaces30 to be carried along to the subsequent fabrication stations.

Channels 38 and 40 have a different length between generally parallel,horizontal planes at the top and bottom of the upright members 32 and34. Both of these channels are generally sinuous or tortuous, but onesuch channel, such as 40, is more tortuous than the other and thereforethe distance between the aforesaid two imaginary horizontal planestraversed in channel 40 is greater than that in channel 38. Each channelhas a generally vertical portion such as 38a and 40a which gentlyprogresses into a curved portion such as 38b and 40b and whichterminates in a vertical portion 380 and 400, respectively, generallyparallel to the first vertical portion. Rounded portion 40b of channel40 is formed on a sharper radiu than portion 38b of channel 38 so thatthe vertical section 400 is of greater extent than that vertical section380 of channel 38. This structure affords a greater length to channel 40than is provided in channel 38, thereby allowing channel 40 tocompensate for the increased dimension in the ends 12b of the brushblanks supported in that channel as compared to the relative thinness ofthe ends 12a of the brush blanks held in channel 38.

It can be readily appreciated that the increased width of the ends 14bof the brush blanksmay present a feeding problem in that the number ofbrush blanks which could be held in stacked array would be severelylimited due to this dimensional difference between the two ends. Theaforedescribed bends in the channels 38 and 40 and the difference in theangular orientation of the channel bends provides a means foraccommodating this dimensional difference and absorbing the same at apoint intermediate the path of travel of the brush blanks through thebrush feeding means.

It is intended that the brush blanks would first be stacked in thechannels in a sidewise orientation and thus the bend in the channelswould turn the brush blanks so that they would be positioned in agenerally flat orientation with the tops facing upwardly, properlypresented for deposit upon the conveyor and subsequent presentation inthe fabrication station.

Means 42 are provided for normally urging the blanks downwardly into thechannels 38 and 40 and onto the conveyor belt 20. This means includes asupport member 44 fastened to one of the upright members 32 andsupporting a track means or rod 46 on which a weight means 48 isslidably mounted. Weight means 48 is provided with a first outwardlyextending finger 50a which is positioned to normally overhang and beardown against a brush blank stacked in the channels of the upright memberand a second finger 50b which projects generally outwardly from thebrush blank feed means in a position for facile manipulation by machineoperators to allow raising and lowering the weight as more brush blanksare supplied to the feed means 14.

Means 52 are further provided for permitting intermittent advance of thebrush blanks in the feed means 14. In particular, a plunger member 54has a portion slidably received in an upright slot 56 in upright member32, slot 56 intersecting the vertical portion 38c of channel 38. Theplunger further is provided with a shoulder or enlarged portion 58exteriorly of channel 32 with a spring 60 positioned thereabove andbearing against the support member 62 to normally urge the plungerdownwardly in slot 56 against the ends 14a of brush blanks in channel38.

A finger member -64 is positioned on the underside of shoulder 58 or theside opposite spring 60. The finger member 64 in turn is connected to alever member 66, the connection being provided with adjustment screwmeans 67 for effecting an adjustment in the positioning of plunger 54.Lever 66 in turn is in abutting relationship with one of the crank arms68 pivoted at 70 in a portion of the conveyor housing to be laterdescribed. Crank 68 is hooked to one end of a spring 72, the other endof each spring being hooked at 73 to the housing to which the crank ispivoted, thereby holding the crank normally in a retracted position andthereby permitting the plunger to be normally held in an extendedposition, blocking channel portion 38c and preventing gravitationaladvance of brush blanks. When crank 68 at the drilling station is moved,lever 66 moves finger 64 which retracts plunger 56 from channel 38,thereby permitting gravitational advance of a brush blank.

The rear of the conveyor housing includes a conveyor plate 78 which ismounted in a plane generally parallel to the plane of conveyor beltmovement and is provided with a pair of spaced notches 80 openinggenerally in the direction of brush blank receiving spaces 30. Eachnotch 80 is provided with a configuration for receiving the forward end12a of a brush blank. In the preferred embodiment, the notch has twosides 80a and 80b generally at right angles to each other and a thirdoblique side 80c generally at an angle parallel to the angulardisposition of spaces 30. These notches 80 are each generally positionedunder one of the fabricating stations and are part of a means foraccurately registering the brush blanks at the fabricating stations. Ahold down bar 82 is mounted above plate 78 and is also provided with anotch 84 generally in vertical orientation with one of the notches 80.An end portion of crank arm 68 extends into each opening and provides ameans for normally urging a brush blank outwardly from the notches. Aspreviously mentioned, the function of the crank arm 68 located under thedrilling head is also to provide a means for releasing plunger 54.

When the conveyor is advanced so that some of the spaces 30 are inalignment with the notches 80, a space 30 will also be directly underthe channel portions 38c and 400 so that a brush blank may be depositedin space 30. As the conveyor is again advanced, blocks 26 and 28 willpass under portions 380 and 400 thereby effectively retaining brushblanks in the brush feed means 14.

The front portion of the conveyor housing is provided with a mountingbar 88 which extends along the front below the upper plane of travel ofthe belt 20. Bar 88 supports a pair of spaced hinge means 90 includinglower hinge member 90a and upper hinge member 90b which is pivoted tolower hinge member by pivotal connection 92 for pivotally mounting alift plate 94 relative to the conveyor housing. Lift plate 94 isattached to the upper hinge members 90b by suitable fastening means andis normally disposed in a plane generally parallel to, and partiallyoverhanging, conveyor belt 20. Springs 96 extend from upper hingemembers 90b to a fastening at 98 to the frame so as to normally urge thelift plate 94 to pivot upwardly relative to the frame and the conveyorbelt.

A pair of slide casing members 100 are secured to the underside of plate94 by fasteners 102. These slide casing members are canted relative tothe length and width of plate 94. Each slide member 100 is provided witha dovetail groove 104 which is generally oriented in the same angulardisposition as the brush blank receiving spaces 30 at each fabricatingstation for slidably supporting a sliding clamp member or embracingmember 106.

Each clamp member 106 has a forward end portion 108 which mates with aportion of the brush blank to be worked upon, extending forwardly anddepending below the remainder of the body of each clamp member 106,generally into the spaces 30 wherein the brush blanks are held. Inparticular, the forward end has a generally U-shaped mouth portion 110,including two outwardly extending opposed brush blank engaging pads 112which may engage opposite sides of the brush blank in the brush blankreceiving channel 30. An L-shaped arm 114 is secured at the top of plate94 by suitable fastening means 116 and a spring 118 is connected to therear of sliding clamp member 106 and to the arm 114 to normally hold theclamp member in a retracted position relative to the notches 80.

Means 120 are provided for raising and lowering the plate 94 to permitthe forward ends 108 of clamp members 106 to engage and disengageportions or brush blanks in spaces 30. Included in this means is a powersource which may be a cylinder or solenoid switch 122 having a linearlymovable shaft 124 connected to a bar or arm 126 which is secured to thetop of plate 94 by fastening means 128. As the shaft 124 retracts insolenoid 122 responsive to an appropriate signal, this will permit thesprings 96 to pivot lift plate 94 about the pivotal attachment 92 ofupper hinge member 90b to lower hinge member 90a, thereby swinging theforward end portions 108 of sliding clamps 106 upwardly and out of thebrush blank receiving spaces 30 within the conveyor 20. Conversely, .asthe shaft 124 is extended, the plate 94 is urged downwardly or towards agenerally horizontal plane to position the forward end portions 108 intothe brush blank receiving spaces 30 of the conveyor belt. In thisfashion, the pads 112 may be brought into and out of engagement withportions of brush blanks being conveyed through the conveyor.

Means 130 are provided for moving the slide clamp member 106 linearly inthe dove-tail groove 104 of member 100 to provide a means, incooperation with notches 80, for properly registering and orienting abrush blank relative to its fabricating station so that the suitablefabricating step may be performed thereon. Included in this means is apiston and cylinder device 132 secured to a mounting block 134 onmounting plate 135. Piston and cylinder device 132 is provided with theusual linearly extensible and retractable piston rod 136 which bears apush block 138 at its forward end. Push block 138 is secured byfastening means 140 to push bar 142. The opposite ends of push bar 142are provided with forwardly extending push pads 144 which are in aposition to abut posts 146 projecting generally vertically through slots148a in plate 94 and slots 1481) in slide casings 100. The posts in turnare held secured relative to slide clamp members 106 by fasteningmembers 150. Thus as each post 146 is moved relative to slots 148a and148b, responsive to linear movement imparted to bar 142 by piston rod136, clamp member 106 will reciprocate in its canted slidable mountingin member 100.

Push bar 142 is supported in support means 152 including spaced lowersupport blocks 154 secured to mounting plate 135 and bearing a firstsupport arm 156 and a second vertically spaced support arm 158, thespace 159 between these two arms being of greater dimension than thethickness of bar 142 to permit slight relative vertical movement of bar142 responsive to the movement imparted to plate 94.

It can be readily seen that when the appropriate timed signal issupplied to solenoid means 122 and piston and cylinder device 132 inconjunction with the intermittent advance of conveyor belt 20, the clampmember 106 may be moved downwardly and forwardly so as to grasp aportion of a brush blank in the area of the two fabricating stations andto push the brush blank forwardly into the notches 80. Even though thespaces 30 between the jaw means of the conveyor belt are slightly largerthan the brush blanks so that the brush blanks are not positivelyoriented therein, the grasping of the brush blanks by the mouth portion110 of clamp member 106 and forcing of the blanks into notches (whichform a stop means to cooperate pads 112 of clamp member 106) properlyorients and registers the blanks at each fabricating station so that theblanks may be properly drilled and tufted. During this time, crank arm68 at the drilling station (16) causes lever 66 to move finger 64upwardly, retracting plunger 56 and permitting a brush blank to entervertical channel portions 38d and 40c to replace a blank dropped in aspace 30. Once this operation has terminated, the clamp member 106 isretracted and lifted responsive to motion imparted to plate 94 and pushbar 142. Crank arms 68 push the fabricated brush blanks out of notches80, the conveyor is intermittently advanced and the cycle is repeatedwith the push bar 106 again being lowered and extended forwardly toforce the next brush blank into the notches 80 and into properregistration for the subsequent fabricating step.

The improvement of this invention provides a means for accurately andorienting a brush blank at a fabricating station, the only time whenaccurate orientation is necessary, which means avoids the difiicultyencountered in previous apparatuses of this type wherein the brushblanks were held in a proper orientation throughout their path of travelthrough the toothbrush machine. Little alteration in the basic structureof the aforementioned Carlson patent is necessary; and consequently,unnecessary repetition of details relating to cyclic operation,intermittent advance, and provision for suitable means establishingperiodic signals has been omitted. In addition, the novel brush feedingmeans of this invention provides a means for holding brush blanks ofdifferent terminal dimensions in stacked array in such a fashion as toaccommodate and partially absorb the dimensional differencesintermediate the stacked array itself.

The foregoing detailed description has been given for clearness ofunderstanding only, and no unnecessary limitations should be understoodtherefrom, as some modifications may be obvious to those skilled in theart.

I claim:

1. In a brushmaking machine having a frame, a feeding station on saidframe, fabricating stations on said frame, and driven conveyor means forreceiving brush blanks from the feeding station and carrying brushblanks between said fabricating stations, the improvement whichcomprises: means on said conveyor for loosely gripping brush blanksreceived from said feeding station to hold the same loosely grippedgenerally throughout the path of travel of the conveyor in preliminaryorientation against substantial movement relative to the c nveyor; andseparate means on said frame adjacent said fabricating stationsintermittently engageable with said brush blanks for positivelyregistering said brush blanks for fabricating operations at saidfabricating stations.

2. The improvement of claim 1 wherein the means for loosely gripping thebrush blanks includes jaw means generally spaced apart on the conveyor adistance slightly greater than the transverse dimension of a brush blankto be gripped therebetween.

3. The improvement of claim 1 wherein said means for positiveregistering of said brush blanks includes an embracing member having aportion generally mating with a portion of the brush blank.

4. The improvement of claim 3 wherein the embracing member is movablebetween a first retracted position out of engagement with the brushblank and a second position positively grasping the brush blank andpositioning the same in registration at the fabricating stations.

5. The improvement of claim 4 wherein the means for registering thebrush blanks further includes a member connected to the frame adjacentthe conveyor and generally below the fabricating stations, said memberhaving stop portions for terminating the movement of the brush blanks atthe second position responsive to movement of the embracing member.

6. The improvement of claim 5 including means normally urging the brushblanks out of registration position at the fabricating stations.

7. The improvement of claim 6 including means responsive to registrationof a brush blank at the fabricating station for actuating the brushfeeding means.

8. The improvement of claim 7 wherein said means for actuating the brushfeeding means is constructed and arranged to operate when said embracingmember is in said second position holding said brush blank inregistration at the fabricating station.

9. The improvement of claim 8 wherein said brush feeding means includestrack means constructed and arranged to guide different portions of thebrush blanks through different paths of travel as the brush blanks areheld in stacked array therein.

10. In a brushmaking machine having a frame, a feeding station on saidframe, fabricating stations on said frame and conveyor means forcarrying brush blanks between the fabricating stations, the improvementwhich comprises: jaw means on said conveyor having brush blank receivingspaces for loosely gripping brush blanks received from the feedingstation to generally hold the same in preliminary orientation againstsubstantial movement relative to the conveyor; recessed members adjacenteach fabricating station and adjacent said conveyor generally orientedfor alignment with brush blanks held in said jaw means; and a clampmember adjacent each fabricating station having portions engageable withsaid brush blanks for positively holding the blanks against movement inthe direction of conveyor travel, said clamp member mounted for movementbetween a first retracted position and a second position wherein saidbrush blank is grasped by said clamp member and held in registrationrelative to said fabricating stations.

11. The improvement of claim 10 wherein said clamp members are movableto a third position wherein brush blanks are moved into fabricatingpositions in said notches, said notches forming a stop means limitingthe forward movement of said brush blanks.

12. The improvement of claim 11 wherein said feeding station includes apair of spaced members each having a channel for receiving one end of atoothbrush blank, one of said channels following a more tortuous paththan the other channel for absorbing dimensional differences in anenlarged end of the brush blanks; plunger means in one of said membersmovable between a position blocking the channel of said member and aretracted position unblocking said channel, said plunger means beingconnected to a lever extending into said notches thereby actuableresponsive to movement of a brush blank into said notch to permitintermittent advancement of brush blanks in said channels.

13. In a brushmaking machine, having a frame, fabricating means securedto said frame, and conveyor means for carrying brush blanks between saidfabricating means, the improvement which comprises: a brush feedingmeans secured to the frame adjacent said conveyor for holding anddepositing brush blanks thereon, said brush feeding means constructedand arranged to stack and dispense brush blanks having one end of anenlarged configuration relative to the other end; said brush feedingmeans including members having spaced channels for receiving and guidingopposite ends of different dimensions of a brush blank, each channelhaving a generally common terminal portion with one of said channelshaving a greater length in the direction of feed of the brush blanksbetween its terminal portion and its infeed portion than thecorresponding length of the other channel.

14. The brush feeding means of claim 13 wherein said one channel followsa tortuous path relative to the other channel.

15. The brush feeding means of claim 14 wherein the other channel alsofollows a tortuous path which is less severe than said first channel.

16. The brush feeding means of claim 15 wherein the orientation of thebrush blank is changed in the path of travel through the channels.

17. The brush feeding means of claim 16 including plunger means normallyheld in an inoperative position and intermittently operable to permitsequential advance of brush blanks responsive to registration of brushblanks at the fabricating stations.

18. The improvement of claim 17 wherein said plunger means is movablebetween a first position blocking one of said channels and a secondretracted position relative to said channels.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 724,231 3/ 1903 Abbey 30031,899,694 2/1933 Jobst 3001l 2,689,152 9/1954 Carlson 300-3 3,279,85810/1966 Parker 30011 3,332,723 7/1967 Miles 3003 3,298,491 1/1967 Quest19343 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,191,333 4/1965 Germany. 1,210,408 2/ 1966Germany.

WAYNE A. MORSE, JR., Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R.

